Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Spaghetti Squash & the Caveman Diet

Hello Folks,

Today I would like to talk to you about this new diet I am on. Raise your hand if you have heard of the Paleo  Diet, also known as the "Caveman Diet."

Well for those of you who haven't, let me tell you a little about it, remember I am no expert just a chubby girl trying to be super hot and fit. The Paleo diet basis itself on eating food that Cavemen used to eat, it talks about how fit they were and how they could run for long periods of time without physically exhausting themselves and if we eat these foods we can be lean, fit and have lots of energy too.  The diet consists of eating lean meats, vegetables, fruits and nuts. You're supposed to eat grass fed and organic products because this is how the Caveman ate their food. You are also supposed to eliminate all processed foods (nothing out of a box or can), dairy, and all white and wheat flour products. That is basically the concept of the Paleo Diet.

I am on my third week of the diet and I have mixed feelings about it. My work wife suggested that we try this diet out for one month, we had just signed up for Crossfit classes and she had read that most people who do Crossfit workouts are on the Paleo diet. I decided to give it a shot without really knowing too much about it (I still don't know that much about it, I am a beginner). The first 3 days were hell for me, my body went into shock without the carbs that I normally filled it with while I was training for the marathon. I felt lightheaded, weak and cranky. On the fourth day I started to feel a little better and by the following week I was back to my old self again. I was surprised that I didn't feel worse considering I had eliminated caffeine from my diet and I was starting to get addicted to it. On my runs I usually always took some form of caffeine, either through tea or coffee, some extreme sport beans, or an amino acid powdered drink. Now, I am doing the Crossfit workouts which are super intense by the way (that is for another post) without any form of caffeine and I feel great. I am allowing myself a cheat meal once a week or I would go crazy and pull all of my hair out and I am a fan of my hair so I would like to keep it in tact.

Mixed Feelings (after 2 and a half weeks):

1. I have not lost any weight (pounds) but I have lost 1% body fat

2. I feel thinner and therefore have more confidence

3. I am not sure if the results are because of Crossfit or the diet or both (I should have tried one first then incorporated the other. I am not good at this science stuff people)

4. I love carbs and I could never go completely without them

5. I am not a fan of meat. Sure I eat it, but it is not my favorite thing on the plate

In Conclusion, (I am feeling a little fancy right now if you haven't noticed) I will continue with the Paleo Diet for the week and a half I have left, but afterwards it's back to my regular diet. Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and wheat bread, I miss you and I will see you soon! As for Crossfit, I love it and because I love it I will be writing a post about it so stay tuned!

Spaghetti Squash

It's super easy to make and carb free! Just cut the Spaghetti Squash in half, bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees, then scrape the squash with a spoon, it will look just like spaghetti. I made the meat sauce with lean ground turkey, pasta sauce, bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions.


Spaghetti Squash after being baked (right: has already been scraped)

Spaghetti Squash 


With Meat Sauce

-Crystal